We are a mother and daughter who both love to write. We decided to start this blog so we could spend time together doing something we both love and share it with you. We specialize in reviewing fun places to go and fun things to do, but we talk a little bit about everything. We would love to hear your views too.

Trip of Love, New York's high-voltage 1960's Pop Music Spectacular, proudly welcomes Nia Sioux to the company. The star of the hit Lifetime Television series "Dance Moms" will join the company for a limited six-week engagement, July 12 through August 21, performing specialty dance solos including "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'", "Moon River," and "Wipe Out."

Nia Sioux has wowed audiences as a dancer, singer and actor on the small screen and in live performances, proving to be one of today's hottest triple threats. A fan favorite on the hit series "Dance Moms" for over six seasons, audiences have seen Nia take on the world of music as she released her first single "Star In Your Own Life" which quickly got over 1 million views on YouTube in its first month (it now has almost 8 million views) and her follow up single "Slay" has over 2.5 million views on YouTube. She has a strong social media following with over 3 million followers onInstagram (@niasioux), over 450,000 followers on Twitter (@RealNiaSioux), over 375,000 likes onFacebook (NiaSiouxFrazier)and over 160,000 subscribers on YouTube (NiaSiouxFrazier).

Trip of Love recently played its 200th performance at New York's Stage 42. With sizzling hot dancers, high-voltage production numbers and powerhouse vocals, Trip of Love reflects a time when we were born to be wild, boots were made for walking and we were all looking for somebody to love. The 60's are alive in this high octane sexy musical spectacular where the worlds of "Mad Men," and "American Bandstand" collide with "Dancing with the Stars," Woodstock and "Soul Train." Celebrate classic pop hits from such greats as The Beatles, Tom Jones, Leslie Gore, Jefferson Airplane, Petula Clark, Bob Dylan, The 5th Dimension, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Nancy Sinatra and more. With a cast of two dozen scorching hot young men and women, Trip of Love takes audiences on a musical journey through a history of rock and roll with such hits as "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," "Downtown," "Venus," "California Dreamin," "You Don't Own Me" and "Wipe Out.

Trip of Love plays at Stage 42 (422 W 42nd Street). Performances are Tuesdays at 7pm, Wednesdays at 2pm and 8pm, Thursdays at 8pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at2pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $35 - $79 and can be purchased viaTelecharge.com, (212) 239-6280
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Kian & JC are coming to iPlay America! Get ready for some serious comedy, as two former members of the now legendary YouTube super group Our2ndLife (AKA "O2L"), Kian Lawley and JC Caylen, bring their amazing form of insanity to iPlay America’s Event Center! Crazy antics and cinematic comedy shorts define this epicenter of millennial comedy where high production values clash with male hilarity

Two-Time Intercontinental Champion and WWE Superstar Kevin Owens comes to iPlay America’s Event Center on Saturday, July 16 for a no-holds-barred Meet & Greet. He’s been called “Wrestling’s Worst Nightmare, The Headlock Master, K.O. and Mr. Money in the Bank” and now fans will have their chance to get up close and personal with Kevin Owens the man who took down John Cena in his very first WWE match! Get your tickets NOW!

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PHILADELPHIA’S POP-UP PARK ON THE PARKWAY LAUNCHES JULY 15

The Oval to Have Family Activities, DNC-Related Fun, and Beer Garden

Opening Friday, July 15 and running for five weeks through Sunday, August 21, The Oval presented by PNC (located on the southeastern edge of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway) will feature a mix of free movies, live music, kid-friendly activities, interactive games, a rotating lineup of food trucks, a beautiful beer garden, and an original mural across 25,000 square feet of concrete. Eight acres of London Plane trees, grass lawns, and public art encompass Eakins Oval, a public space which is transformed into a summer oasis.The Oval, at Eakins Oval, is at the center of the Ben Franklin Parkway at 2451 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia.

Fun features to note include:

Popular movies on Food & Flicks Fridays including Pitch Perfect, Finding Nemo, and the originalGhostbusters

“Yappy Hour” on Thursdays featuring $1 off drinks if you bring your dog to the beer garden, 5-7 pm

School-yard games and obstacle course on Friday afternoons

Little-kid-friendly recreation like sandboxes and water feature for wet play as well as big-kid games like oversized chess and checkers, mini-golf, and a mini-disk course

Unusual craft and foreign beers including Leinenkugel’s Grapefruit Shandy and 21 Amendment Hell or High Watermelon in the Beer Garden, and local Pennsylvania wines from Blair Vineyards

Sunday additions include kid-friendly music and face painting, as well as new operating hours for the Beer Garden at The Oval

Games in the Beer Garden such as interactive Quizzo on Saturday afternoons and cornhole

Also new this year: new dance and fitness classes for adults throughout the day on Wellness Wednesdays, a space for music jams on Arts & Culture Thursdays, Soccer Shots for kids on Game Day Saturdays, and a shopping experience from Warby Parker, a lifestyle brand founded in 2010 at The Wharton School of Business.

The Revue will be returning to their Classic Album format that they have been performing at The Kelsey for the last 5 years with a musical tribute to one of the most influential songwriters of the last 4 decades, Jackson Browne and his hit 1977 album RUNNING ON EMPTY.

Join us at CMA on July 17 for our French Cultural Festival in partnership with French Institute Alliance Francaise! Help us celebrate with performances between 12:00 and 3:00 PM and learn about French storytelling and cultural traditions!

Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre announces Green Afternoon IV, a performance and cocktail reception at the home of architects Marcia Previti and Peter Gumpel in East Hampton, NY on Saturday, July 16, 2016. The evening begins at 5 p.m. with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and several outdoor sitting rooms featuring performance installations, with performers dancing in tree houses, on outdoor sculptures, in and around the swimming pool, in the woods, and more. A more formal presentation of her newest work REFUGE, will begin at 5:50pm and will be followed by a reception. Green Afternoon IV akes place at 230 Old Stone Hwy, East Hampton, NY 11937. Tickets are $75 ($150 for Patron Tickets) and can be purchased at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/green-afternoon-2016-tickets-24716069429.

SPECIAL GUESTS TO JOIN ODOM JR. AS HE PERFORMS HIS SOULFUL JAZZ INTERPRETATIONS OF AMERICAN SONGBOOK CLASSICS AND TODAY'S POP HITS

THURSDAYS LATE NIGHT

JULY 14-28

AT THE MCKITTRICK’S INTIMATE

MANDERLEY BAR

The McKittrick Hotel (542 West 27th Street), home of the immersive theater spectacle Sleep No More, is thrilled to announce that Grammy® and Tony®-winning star of Hamilton, Leslie Odom Jr., will headline a concert residency at The McKittrick’s intimateManderley Bar for three consecutive Thursday nights beginning July 14, 2016 in support of his recently-released self-title debut solo album of jazz classics. The concerts, with doors opening at 11pm ahead of an 11:30pm showtime, will feature songs from the album as well as surprise numbers and special guests. For tickets and information, please visit http://events.mckittrickhotel.com/lesliemanderley/.

New York, NY (June 20, 2016) – The New York Civil Liberties Union, the New York State affiliate of the ACLU, announced today a star-studded lineup of performers for its annual benefit concert. “Broadway Stands Up for Freedom” will boast performances by some of Broadway’s finest onMonday, July 18, at the NYU Skirball Center for Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place). Tickets are now on sale at http://nyuskirball.org/calendar/nyclu2016.

iLuminate, named the best new act in America by “America’s Got Talent,” returns to New York City this summer for a limited 7-week engagement. Performances are set to begin at Theatre 80 St. Mark’s (80 St. Mark’s Place) on July 18, 2016 and continue through September 4th.

Music, art, and the technological magic of iLuminate bring you a story of adventure and romance told through dance styles ranging from contemporary, hip-hop, latin, and breaking, all using the power of light. With a mash-up of dazzling wizardry, spectacular dance moves, fun audience-interactive games and high-tech effects, iLuminatedelivers this unique dance-in-the-dark event. https://vimeo.com/159113653

iLuminate plays the following performance schedule: Monday at 7pm, Wednesday at 3pm & 7pm, Thursday at 7pm, Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 1:30pm & 8pm and Sunday at 3pm. There are no performances on Tuesday.

For kids who want to have fun learning to play piano or drums and parents who want to watch their children actively making music, the world's largest print music publisher, Hal Leonard Corporation, has the answer. HalLeonard's popular "For Kids" series of method books now includesPiano for Kids andDrums for Kids.

The most successful music teachers are the ones who show students "how easy" rather than "how difficult," and Hal Leonard's new Drums for Kids and Piano for Kids follow that same strategy. Both feature super-clear instructions, fantastic hit songs, and accompaniment tracks that kids will be eager to play along with.

Piano for Kidsand Drums for Kids can be used with a parent or teacher, or even by a motivated student alone.

And the best part is that both books are loaded with familiar, popular songs that have been chosen for their kid-friendly appeal.

Piano for Kids, by Jennifer Linn, Manager of Educational Piano at Hal Leonard, sets a new standard for clarity of instruction to present a very concise, step-by-step approach to quickly synchronize two hands with a clear mental image of each musical goal, using fun songs like "Let It Go" from Frozen, "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music,"Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz, and pop classics like "Lean on Me."

Drums for Kids, by Scott Schroedl, has students quickly building their music reading skills by following easy notation to songs like "Purple Haze,""Old Time Rock & Roll,""Wild Thing," or "Surfin' U.S.A."and playing along with easily accessed audio demonstration tracks that can be downloaded or streamed using the unique code inside each book.

This feature, provided with both Piano for Kids and Drums for Kids, includes Hal Leonard's exclusive PLAYBACK+ multi-functional audio player to slow down or speed up the tempo, change keys, or set loop points, all for the price of the instruction book.

Explains Jennifer Linn, "While most beginning piano methods use obscure melodies that are probably unfamiliar to today's young people,Piano for Kids breaks new ground by teaching the musical elements through well-known, popular songs most kids already know. The audio tracks included with this book are a great teaching tool, encouraging kids to listen, learn, and play along!"

Adds Scott Schroedl, "Drums for Kids is the first book of its kind to carefully sequence lessons for drummers of such a young age. Other drum methods contain mostly public domain folk songs or unknown original song examples. With Drums for Kids, we want kids to learn to play songs that are fun and recognizable, so we've woven popular, copyrighted songs into the lessons."

Other titles in the Hal Leonard "For Kids" method book series includeHarmonica for Kids (2015), Ukulele for Kids (2011), Guitar for Kids(2010), and Bass for Kids (2010).

Piano for Kids and Drums for Kids are available from fine music and bookstores everywhere or by visiting www.halleonard.com.

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Doctor Noize Presents ...

'PHINEAS McBOOF CRASHES THE SYMPHONY'

A FUN-FILLED, TWO-ACT MUSICAL FOR FAMILIES

with

GRAMMY® WINNING OPERA STARS

ISABEL LEONARD & NATHAN GUNN

&

THE CITY OF PRAGUE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Phineas McBoof fans rejoice! Four years after the last Doctor Noize album comes the third installment in the award-winning Phineas McBoof series.. Phineas McBoof Crashes the Symphony, a full-length, two-act musical about the symphony, friendship, and purpose, for adventurers of all ages, will be unleashed onJuly 15, 2016.

Phineas McBoof Crashes the Symphony is a screwball musical comedy, complete with fast, zany repartee, where the leading characters have over-the-top dramatic ranges combined with vocal chops that open one's ears to what real singing with resonance and amazing projection is all about.

The plot, which could be an offspring of Monty Python, is backed by the full forces of the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted byKyle Pickett, playing a brilliant score whose colorful orchestration is matched by the integrity and sophistication of the musical material.

Like Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, Phineas McBoof Crashes the Symphony resonates with young ears because it features a compelling storyline that sports a character-driven attitude.

Kids and adults alike will find themselves engaged in a dramatic, mysterious, high-stakes tale of love, friendship, commitment, and self-improvement in which Phineas McBoof learns that the real purpose of striving for great art is to share moments, dreams, and emotions with friends.

Along the way, creator Cory Cullinan embeds into this musical adventure valuable information about orchestration, instrumentation, music history, Beethoven, sonata form, popular song structure, and more, illustrated through the rich detail of the musical composition itself.

Awards and accolades garnered by Doctor Noize projects includeParents' Choice®, Doctor Toy, Children's Music Web, and iTunes Essential Recording. "Banana" was a #1 hit song and "Welcome to Grammaropolis" was a Top 10 hit song on SiriusXM's Kids Place Live.

Previous Doctor Noize albums include Grammaropolis (2012), The Return of Phineas McBoof (2011), and The Ballad of Phineas McBoof(2010).

Phineas McBoof Crashes the Symphony will be available at Amazon, CDbaby, iTunes and at Doctor Noize shows.